Local Goa News

Friday, June 24, 2016

‘Will continue Portuguese passport process’

Panaji: Despite the uncertainty arising from the UK choosing to exit the European Union (EU), there's no reason to believe that Goans will stop queuing up outside the Portuguese consulate in Altinho, Panaji.
A number of Goans say they don't regret applying for Portuguese passports. Goans who have begun the process of registering their parents' births, marriages and their own births in the conservatoria dos registor centrais (central registry of births), Lisbon, to apply for a Portuguese passport, don't see any reason to stop the process, either.
Francis, an entrepreneur of Goan origin settled in Mumbai, is not having second thoughts on making his Portuguese passport. He uses his Canadian passport as a primary travel document and when travelling extensively for work in Europe, turns to his Portuguese passport. "Europe is so much more than the UK. It is regrettable that it has chosen to leave a single market economy. It's just more pain for the people of the UK, though I don't think they see it yet. The immigration issue that became the fundamental element of the 'leave' campaign is not so straightforward. The UK doesn't have the skills to fill the jobs left vacant by an exodus of immigrants," he feels.
Onilda Fernandes, settled in Kuwait, also doesn't regret making the Portuguese passport as it still grants her visa access to close to 100 countries. "In the gulf, just holding a foreign passport tends to get you into a better salary bracket and access to certain jobs as compared to an Indian passport." In case she loses her job through which her residence permit is stamped, she doesn't have to leave the country as she can get visa on arrival and apply for jobs with a Portuguese passport. She says she has no plans to live or work in the UK as it is way too expensive when compared to Kuwait.
Valerie D'Souza, a huma resources professional from Chicalim, is in the final stages of obtaining her Portuguese passport to find a job in the UK. She isn't discouraged by Brexit and will migrate to any other European country. "There are so many opportunities out there. I can work in France or Germany. When it comes to travelling, too, the passport will come to my aid. I will not have to go through the hassles of wasting time and money in applying for visas, something that an Indian passport holder is required to do."
A Fernandes, a Goan who grew up in Mumbai and presently works in Dubai, is also ensuring that she avails of the Portuguese passport. The document, when compared to an Indian passport, simply eases travel and this is reason enough for her to continue the lengthy process to obtain it.